The Asda fashion label 'George' has triggered outrage with a decision to stock size zero clothes for women and teenage girls.

The move flies in the face of warnings from the Culture Secretary, Tessa Jowell, and doctors that the promotion of such tiny sizes is linked to eating disorders such as anorexia.

The "G-21" range is the first mainstream collection to include clothes which go down to UK size 4 - the equivalent of size zero in the USA.

The store says the collection is inspired by the latest catwalk designs and is both "cutting-edge" and "very trendy".

The fact that such a major retailer has decided to sell size zero clothes for both adult women and teenagers at 194 outlets supports the idea that this is normal and natural.

However, the typical waist measurement on a size zero skirt or dress is just 22inches, which is the average for an eight year old girl.

The evidence from the catwalk is that the young women who model size zero clothes are often barely more than skin and bone.

Professor Janet Treasure of the Eating Disorders Service and Research Unit at King's College London, described Asda's decision as "crazy". "I am sure that size zero is unhealthy. It is totally unrealistic," she said.

"The promotion of size zero as something to aspire to is very worrying. The idea of offering such a small size seems crazy, it is so unnatural and outside the norm.

"This is a negative step. There is a danger that young women and girls will strive to try and fit into this size, which would be very bad news for their health."

The size zero phenomenon began in the United States and is being fuelled by a select group of fashion labels which insist on running catwalk collections that can only be worn by ultra-thin models such as Lily Cole.

Separately, Victoria Beckham, together with Mischa Barton, Kate Bosworth and Nicole Richie are seen as poster girls for the size zero culture.

Lily Cole says it is wrong to categorise her as a size zero. Speaking in the latest edition of Vogue magazine she rejects claims that she is less than eight stone as "rubbish" and "ridiculous".

However, it is clear that a number of young models are risking their health to slim down.

The size zero model, Luisel Ramos(correct), aged 22, died from a heart attack after stepping off the catwalk during the Uruguayan Fashion Week in August last year. Brazilian model, Carolina Reston, aged 21, died in November due to complications associated with anorexia.

Dr Dee Dawson, one of the UK's leading experts on eating disorders, described Asda's decision as "an outrage".

She said: "Asda needs to know that the only grown up people who can wear this size are people who are ill. It is not natural.

"I am appalled. This is for ridiculously thin people like Victoria Beckham."

She said: "Asda and George seem to be jumping on the bandwaggon that says thin equals beautiful. It seems to me they don't care at all that promoting the size zero culture is not good for our women and children.

"Eating disorders are a growing problem.

"Our children are going to find it more and more difficult to come to terms with puberty and change of body shape when they see there are these sizes available that they cannot get into. It will panic people."

Dr Dawson said: "When you have the equivalent of a size zero on the racks, that normalises this idea of being ultra-thin. It suggests this is something to aspire to.

"We have people who are very insecure about the way they look. They want to be in the smallest size possible. Now Asda have created a new smallest size. "These people are ill, but there are an awful lot of them. They feel that if there are other people out there wearing a size four then they should be one of them."

Culture Secretary, Tessa Jowell, condemned the cult of size zero as recently as last week.

She said: "Fashion and the tyranny of thinness can undermine the self-confidence of young women. Low self-esteem is reinforced by this idealised body image as represented by size zero models.

"This is not simply about the fashion industry and ensuring that girls are not exploited. There are also wider social consequences like the impact of the culture of thinness on the wellbeing and aspirations of teenage girls."

The 38-year-old film-maker, of Harwich, Essex, found out about the supermarket giant's decision through her 15-year-old daughter Alice.

"My daughter was quite shocked after one of her friends told her she had seen size 4 clothes on sale in George at Asda," she said.

"I couldn't believe what I was hearing and picked up the phone and rang one of our local branches to see if it was true.

"The assistant told me that it was indeed correct and that size 4 had just gone on sale. I told her I was shocked because size 4 is absolutely tiny.

"I was told that they had scrapped teenage sizes and decided to make adult clothes in smaller sizes so they would fit young girls.

"I think it is absolutely sickening because all it does is send out the completely wrong messages to young girls to strive to be skinny and waif-like.

"I know some of Alice's friends have already been up to Asda to see if they can squeeze themselves into a size 4. All this is going to do is encourage children to be even more worried about their apperance and weight.

"I thought Asda would have had a bit more sense and taken notice of the controversy surrounding size zero.

"Not only that but what is wrong with selling a range of clothes for teenagers instead of getting them to wear miniature adult clothes."

The decision by Asda provides further evidence that the fashion industry has no intention of bowing to concerns that they are pushing a belief that beauty equates to being artificially thin. The organisers of London Fashion Week recently announced that - unlike other major fashion events in New York and Madrid - they will not be banning size zero models from the catwalk. As an alternative, the British Fashion Council is setting up a taskforce to promote a healthy body image. Size zero models viewed as "healthy" by fashion houses will be allowed to take to the catwalk.

Dr Dawson, of London's Rhodes Farm Clinic, described this idea as "absurd". "You can't tell whether a model has a problem just by looking at her. I would need to weigh her, measure her and see her without her clothes on to see if she has got muscle wasting,' she said.

"To say that we are going to leave decisions like this up to people's consciences is ridiculous and absurd." New research commissioned by the Campaign for Real Beauty reveals that size-zero models and clothes, together with ultra-thin actresses and pop stars, have a profound effect in shaping attitudes.

Some 74 per cent of girls aged 8-12 are so dissatisfied with their bodies that they would like to change something about their appearance.

The figure rises to 92 per cent for those aged 15-17.

Thirty per cent wanted to be slimmer, making weight-loss the number one priority for change among this group. Prof Susie Orbach, an expert on diet and body image, who compiled the research, said: "In our image conscious society looking good is tied up with self worth. We imagine that if our own appearance can reflect the images that are all around us, we will feel good.

"This search for self-esteem turns into a frantic and relentless scramble to transform our bodies and our eating.

"No-one wants to believe that their daughter, their sistere, their mother or their friend, suffers. But they do and it is serious and we need to address it." Prof Orbach, a one-time confidante of Princess Diana, said: "Mothers tell us unequivocally that unless the images young girls and women see extend beyond the tall, blonde, thin, digitally enhanced pictures that surround them, their efforts to provide a positive role model will be hampered and their daughters' desires will be clipped, their self-esteem wounded and they will worry about their bodies and their eating.

The research found the 77 per cent of teachers believe the unattainable role models in the beauty and fashion industry contribute to low body image among girls. Asda's decision to offer UK size 4 appears to be at odds with its stated public policy, which is opposed to using models of this size to promote its clothes.

A spokesman said it had introduced the size four following a decision to merge its teenage range into the G-21 collection. The company suggested other stores are planning their own size four ranges.

"The DNA of that range is that it is very very fashion conscious, very now. It is inspired by catwalks and goes straight into store. It is for teenagers and young customers,' he said.

"It is designed to appeal to 13, 14 and 15 year olds at one end of the scale through to younger adults."

Asda said that, as a company, it does not use size zero models. While the size zero clothes are restricted to the G-21 collection.

A spokesman said: "From a corporate point of view, we refuse point blank to use size zero models to promote any of our clothing.

"In fact we cast someone to do some modelling for our clothes about eight weeks ago, but when she came up to the shoot she had lost about a stone. She was too thin and she was sent home. "We think the use of size zero models promotes a negative body image. It is something that many women will want to aspire to, but it simply not achievable. "That is why we don't have it in any other ranges and why we won't use size zero models to promote George."

The main face of the George brand is Wayne Rooney's fiance Coleen McLoughlin.

The Asda spokesman said: "One of the reasons why we have a relationship with Coleen is that she is aspirational, but her look is more easily achievable."

Asda said G-21 - which is offered up to size 18 -is similar in look to the clothes offered by Topshop and H&M. Both these stores offer size zero clothes, however these are restricted to their petite ranges for shorter women and girls.

Reader Comments (13)

I am delighted to hear the news and will be popping down to Asda before the size 4 gets banned and all the clothes in the shops are too big for me again. I am a 31 year old feminist woman. I am 5' tall, petite but by no means skinny. I can never find clothes to fit me and never hate my body except when trying on clothes. I used to be an English size 8, which was once hard to find, but now, even though I have got bigger, size 8 is too big for me. Western women are getting bigger and designers are changing the sizes to flatter them. There is nothing intrinsically wrong with a woman being American size 0 and under 8 stone. The difference between me and the catwalk models is height. Sometimes I see women much taller than me aske for a size 8 and I think, if they fit into the smallest size, what is left for me. Today, Britain is more diverse than ever. Immigration from the south over the past century means that there are more short women in the population. We must recognise and embrace this diversity. Today, women are made to feel ugly because they are too short as well as too fat and because they are too skinny as well as too tall. Even models are quoted criticising parts of their own bodies, as if their stomachs or noses or hair exist independently of them. Just as there is no ideal skin colour or eye shape, it is crucial to acknowledge that there is no singular ideal body shape and no ideal nose shape, leg shape, breast size etc. Beauty is as diverse as nature. Clothes that are too small are no more flattering than clothes that are too big. Fashion needs to cater for tiny women too.

Some people are just natural thin (~myself! I have tried putting on weight but my doctor is not concerned about it, so Im leaving it) I can't fit into ASDA or tesco clothes because they only stock bigger sizes! Firstly start supporting them when they do stock bigger sizes instead of protesting when they decide to increase their range or stop bigger sizes. Secondly, please don't discriminate against naturally thin people!!! We need clothes too and we dont have any disorders!!!!!

What? I am a size 0 does that mean I don't have a right to buy clothes? We're not all anorexic. You're just spreading fear and hate about looks, the same thing you're trying to combat. Don't replace one aesthetic with another - promote them all

Anybody is not about promoting any body aesthetic above another - we are for diversity on the catwalk and in advertising and in real life. People who read this site and see it as pro-fat are mis reading it. Us AnyBodies come in all extremes of sizes, it is just that the current media ideal is for ultra thin feminine ideals, which is not healthy if that is not your natural body type. We are appealing for diversity of body image and body acceptance all round. Infact ideally we want the focus on women's bodies to reduce so that women are free to concentrate on the more important things on life and realise it doesn't matter what size your jeans are in the scheme of thing!I am sorry you read our messages the wrong way Crystal, x elise

I can understand the outrage of some of the women that have commented before me and they are entitled to buy clothes as well, but I think that the size zero in Asda is just ridiculous. When i first saw it in my local branch, I was in the midst of severe anorexia nervosa with a BMI of 15. I immediately ran up to the rack in both shock and glee to look at my new goal for that summer. It encouraged me to continue down the path that I was on. One of the only reasons that I was fighting the voice in my head was to be able to go into a shop and find clothes that fitted me, like any other 'normal person' but when i discovered that there was a place that sold clothes for other emaciated people I had no further reason to fight.I am thankfully recovering now and heading towards a healthy BMI. This website has been of much help to me. Although the media doesn't cause eating disorders it is a big factor in the proccess and I am so glad that I have found a new voice that encourages beauty in all shapes and sizes.

I have to agree with the comments. There is nothing wrong with stocking a size 0 - for people who are naturally skinny. Just like there is nothing wrong with stocking a size 20 for people who are naturally plump. I agree that UK sizes are getting bigger. I use to be a size 10...just, and am now a size 6-8...and I've actually gained almost half a stone! When I shop it seems that there are less and less sizes 6-8 in the high street. I know several people who are (naturally) slimmer than me (and not short enough to make it into the petite range) and will surely welcome more size 4, 6 and 8 options. Seeing a size 0 in Asda will not make a healthy woman stave herself, just like seeing a size 20 in Asda won't make her start over-eating. Getting rid of choice is not a solution.

I too agree with previous comments. The point of this entire website is too encourage women to be comfortable with their own bodies. But branding size 4 as 'sickening' is suggesting that those who are naturally small are ugly and undesireable. Therefore the suggested message of this entire campaign is not 'everybody is beautiful', but 'average is beautiful', leaving no room for diversity.I am 5'3" and British size 4. I have always been naturally skinny and wouldn't change a single part of my body. And frankly, I was ecstatic to finally find size 4 on the High Street, as it reassured me that my body size was not freakish and ugly, but acceptable. Thus increasing my body confidence.But I do understand that for some, being size zero is not healthy, just as a size 22 may not be healthy either, but I see no protests to having size 22 available on the high street.

I think boycotting brands or fashion designers who focus on clothes for underweight women will help towards addressing the obssession with thinness.

Many women are unhappy about their weight, and some suffer from aneroxia. Every action helps - including boycotting fashion companies that promote the thinking that its only thin women who are beautiful.